It’s easy these days to malign children and teenagers who ride. Someone hands them their horse when they arrive at the barn or ring, already tacked up. They can’t braid, wrap or diagnose colic. They’re taught to pose on made horses, instead of gaining the balance and confidence that riding stubborn ponies brings. And did I mention that they don’t have to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow when they go to school anymore?

Seriously, as riding gets more specialized and everyone wants to win, win, win, there’s little chance that today’s junior champions will gain the experience and skills of the legendary all-around horsemen of yesteryear. But those who believe good, old-fashioned horsemanship and sportsmanship is dead should’ve been at the U.S. Pony Club Championships in Lexington, Va. (p. 28).

These kids aren’t specialists. Pony Clubbers have usually tried a little bit of everything, from games to polocrosse to eventing. That child who rode a fast, clean round in show jumping this year probably vaulted onto her pony at a gallop in games last year, or tried tetrathlon once or twice. And she may have gone foxhunting too.

The horses in Lexington came in every shape and variety. There were a few fabulous athletes bred to excel in their discipline, but there were many more of no particular pedigree who were quite capable of doing their jobs. And some horses with little aptitude for traditional sports have found their niche in games or polocrosse.

If you’re worried about horsemanship, check out the horse management skills of the average Pony Clubber. From the moment the stable opens until the awards ceremony closes, the horses and riders are under careful scrutiny. In the show world it’s easy to run and grab a snack before wiping off your bit, because no one’s checking. But not at a USPC rally. They go to formal turnout before their first ride with their boots enclosed in plastic bags so no last-minute dust mote will incur the dreaded points off. And they present their equipment and horse for inspection after their ride to prove that everything’s been properly cared for. Woe betide the child who forgets to top off her horse’s water before leaving for the night. And the best part is that parents aren’t allowed to help. They’re shooed off to volunteer while their children do everything on their own.

Then there are the kids who go to USPC championships to compete purely in their horse knowledge. Quiz had 62 teams and more than 240 competitors this year–the largest discipline. They didn’t bring mounts, but they proved that they knew conformation, symptoms of illness, signs of an unsafe stable area, and so much more that goes into keeping horses healthy and happy.

USPC isn’t the answer to all problems equestrian. Your local Pony Club is only as good as the volunteers who run it, and at some point a great all-around rider needs to specialize to truly rise to the top. I’m sure, too, that some competitors had a miserable time at championships. But the majority of them were an inspiration for riders everywhere.

It wasn’t their performance that impressed me, although there were some impressive performances. It was the cheerful attitude that pervaded the entire Virginia Horse Center as kids from all over the country strived to do their best on the horses they had, or they made the best of it when things didn’t go quite right. When the last-placed finisher gets the same volume of cheers as the winner, you know the institution is working.